A growing body of research shows that several positive psychological factors are associated with better health. In particular, purpose in life (purpose) is consistently associated with substantially reduced risk of age-related conditions including cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death among older adults. However, the mechanisms connecting higher purpose with reduced CVD, and the factors moderating this connection, are unclear. Without understanding these mechanisms and moderators, a critical and promising avenue of inter- vention that may enhance physical health cannot progress. The applicant?s long-term goal is to become an in- terdisciplinary scientist with an increasingly nuanced understanding of: positive psychological functioning, ag- ing, social disparities in health, advanced statistics, and the behavioral and biological mechanisms that connect psychological factors with physical health. With this blend of knowledge, the applicant will partner with interven- tion scientists and help guide future research that tests the extent to which purpose interventions may lead to improved health in older populations. The objective of this proposal is to identify key mechanisms and modera- tors linking purpose with reduced CVD. Building on previous literature and the applicant?s current work on pur- pose and cardiovascular events, the central hypothesis is that purpose buffers against stress, and works through specific health behaviors and biological pathways to reduce CVD (see Specific Aims). An additional hypothesis is that purpose is beneficial across diverse population, and its effects on health will not be altered by key social structural factors. The research proposed in this application is innovative for at least three rea- sons, it: 1) represents a new and substantive departure from the status quo by expanding the focus of risk fac- tors to include a modifiable psychological asset that may influence several mechanistic factors that contribute to health; 2) leverages two nationally representative datasets of older adults (with 10+ years of follow-up data) that combines in-depth and interdisciplinary sources of data (e.g., repeated measures of behavioral and biolog- ical data, richly characterized daily diary data); 3) joins the efforts of a highly interdisciplinary team of research- ers from six disciplines, who will contribute theoretical and methodological insights to unlock high-value inter- disciplinary findings. The training plan includes: mentored research experience, frequent meetings with men- tors, and targeted coursework, workshops, and conferences. This will provide the applicant crucial training in the key new areas of: social disparities in health, the science of health behaviors, and biological processes. In sum, this project will provide one of the most in-depth examinations of how purpose is connected with a range of behavioral, biological, and stress-buffering mechanisms. Ultimately, the proposed research is significant, because such knowledge has the potential to move the field forward by building the scientific case for a causal relationship between higher purpose and enhanced health, providing new directions for building a science of resilience, and providing new targets for preventive and therapeutic purpose interventions.
Recent reports repeatedly find that Baby Boomers have higher rates of chronic disease, obesity, disability, and lower physical activity than their parent?s generation?as a result, Americans are now living longer but sicker lives. The proposed research is relevant to public health because examining how positive psychological fac- tors, such as purpose in life, are associated with a range of behavioral, biological, and stress-buffering mecha- nisms will move the field forward by building the scientific case for a causal relationship between higher pur- pose and enhanced health, providing new directions for building a science of resilience, and providing new tar- gets for preventive and therapeutic purpose interventions. Thus, the proposed research is relevant to NIA?s mission, which encourages researchers to develop fundamental knowledge that will help aging adults extend their healthy and active years of life.
